A joint Special Report on the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission to Mozambique, was released today. An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission visited Mozambique from 27 April–24 May 2003 to estimate food crop production of for the 2002/03 production season, assess the overall food supply situation, forecast cereal import requirements and possible exports in 2003/04 and determine likely food aid needs.

Highlights

• Total cereal production in Mozambique for 2002/03 is estimated at over 1.8 million tonnes, some 2.5 percent above last year’s level.
• However, in southern and some of central provinces prolonged dry spells and high temperatures
  caused almost total failure of the maize crop.
• Elsewhere, the season was normal in Zambezia (centre) and in all northern provinces, where a
  bumper crop has been harvested.
• Severe difficulties in marketing surplus production from the north and centre to the south, due to
  high transport costs and local municipal taxes, will be aggravated this year by limited export
  opportunities to neighbouring countries.
• Cereal prices at the end of marketing year 2002/03 were below their levels of a year ago. They
  are expected to remain depressed in the north but to rise in the south in 2003/04, reflecting
  surplus and deficit situations under current marketing conditions.
• Emergency food aid estimated at 156 000 tonnes will be needed for some 949 000
  drought-affected and vulnerable people in southern and parts of central provinces. Most of the
  food aid requirement will have to be imported, but a part of it could be procured locally.
  Assistance with agricultural inputs for the next cropping season will also be necessary.